Feels Like Home by Lisa Ireland

beautiful property, right near Kallara. I’m sure they’ll both be very happy there.’
    Katherine shook her head. ‘Thank god my girl had more sense than that. She got away from this hellhole. Went off to finish her degree in America. She’s a smart one, my Johanna.’
    A lump formed in Jo’s throat and she found herself unable to speak. The pride in her mother’s voice was unmistakable. Her whole life she’d hungered for Katherine’s love and approval. This was as close as she’d come.
    Katherine went on, seemingly oblivious to the effect of her words. ‘I was a bit worried for a while there. When she was a teenager she took up with a local lad. Nice enough boy, but no ambition, you know what I mean?’
    Fortunately Katherine seemed to think the question was rhetorical and Jo was spared the pain of answering.
    â€˜He was destined to be a farmer. It was in his blood. I didn’t want my girl making the same mistake I did.’
    â€˜What mistake was that?’ Jo’s tone was harsh but Katherine didn’t seem to notice. She’d warmed to this topic and was eager to go on.
    â€˜Being stuck in a backwater with a man who thought passing comment on the weather was an in-depth conversation.’
    Heat flooded Jo’s cheeks at this stinging assessment of her beloved Dad. ‘Surely it wasn’t all bad?’
    Katherine rolled her eyes. ‘It was the pits.’
    Anger knotted Jo’s stomach. How could she have doubted that this woman was her mother? Her memory might have faded but her bitterness was as sharp as ever. ‘What made you stay? If it was as bad as you say surely you could have left?’
    Katherine’s pale hand moved to her throat and she fingered the small gold cross that hung there. ‘It was my penance,’ she said. ‘I’d already committed one cardinal sin. I couldn’t risk another stain on my soul.’
    Sin? What sin? Had her mother murdered someone or had a secret affair? The thought was both thrilling and horrifying in equal parts. Before Jo could press her further on the issue, Katherine returned to her thoughts on Jo’s relationship with Ryan.
    â€˜At least my Johanna had the sense to make a life for herself.’ Katherine lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘And I played my part in making sure she didn’t repeat my mistakes.’
    What did she mean? Had Katherine done something to drive Ryan away? ‘Really?’ Jo worked hard to keep her voice casual. ‘How did you do that?’
    Katherine shrugged. ‘It wasn’t too hard. Men are all the same, you know. Full of ego. Once Johanna left for the States I just planted a few seeds of doubt in the boy’s mind. That’s all it took to convince him she was never coming back, that she didn’t love him enough to return. Foolish boy went and sought solace in the arms of the first girl that made eyes at him. The fact that the girl got pregnant, well…’ Katherine looked up at her with a satisfied smile, ‘…that was just the icing on the cake.’

CHAPTER
    9
    â€˜Dad, you’re not listening.’
    Ryan put his empty coffee cup on the sink and turned to face his daughter. ‘Sorry pumpkin.’
    Ella rocked back on the kitchen chair and screwed up her nose. ‘I told you not to call me that. I’m not a pumpkin.’
    â€˜I know sweetheart, it’s just a nickname.’
    â€˜It’s a baby name and I’m not a baby anymore. Anyway can I?’
    â€˜Um…’ Ryan realised he had no idea what she was asking. Despite his best intentions he hadn’t been able to concentrate properly on anything — not even his daughter — since yesterday’s fiasco with Joey. He’d been utterly useless all day. First cocking up the client invoicing system, so that a job that should have taken ten minutes spilled over into an hour, then being late for